Anthony Davis' free agency is going to rock the NBA, and chatter has already started about where he could land

Anthony Davis can become a free agent at the end of the
2019-20 season and one of the most sought-after players in NBA
history.

While his free agency is over a year away, there is
already buzz about whether Davis will stay with the New Orleans
Pelicans, in part because the team isn't close to contending
for a championship.

Davis can sign a max extension at the end of this
season, and if he doesn't, teams may get aggressive in trying
to trade for him before he hits free agency.

Teams like the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and
Golden State Warriors are considered suitors right now, but the
list would expand if teams think Davis is leaving New
Orleans.

Anthony Davis has the chance to become the NBA's biggest free
agent since LeBron James in 2010 and Kevin Durant in 2014.

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The 25-year-old New Orleans Pelicans big man has ascended among
the elite NBA players, putting up eye-popping nightly figures
over the past five years while becoming a perennial all-star.
Nothing has changed for Davis this year, as he's averaging 25
points on 49% shooting, 45% from three, with 13 rebounds, 5
assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks per game for the 4-4 Pelicans.

While Davis' contract doesn't expire until after the 2019-20
season, chatter has started about where he could land. That's in
part because Davis could be in line for the "supermax" contract
extension this summer, and it's unclear if he'll take it to
commit to the Pelicans.

If he doesn't, the Pelicans may need to begin shopping him, as he
could hit free agency and walk.

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While Davis hasn't given any indications that he wants to leave
New Orleans, there have been signs that may concern the Pelicans.
Davis recently told Yahoo's Chris Haynes, for instance, that
for the Pelicans to win, he has to be nearly perfect.

"Of course, I know that in order to win games, a lot of pressure
is going to be on me," Davis said. "If we lose, it's on me. If we
win, they give my team the credit and I'm fine with that ... I
don't have a good game and we lose. So, I got to play almost
perfect every night to give us a chance to win."

In a league of superteams, it's not a great sign when a player
feels he has to do it all to keep his team competitive.

Likewise, this season, Davis signed with Klutch, the agency that
represents LeBron James and is run by James' childhood friend
Rich Paul. James' Los Angeles Lakers will have cap space this
summer and are expected to pursue star players aggressively.

Davis told Haynes that he knew the move would naturally draw
speculation.

"Any time you do anything like that [the noise is coming],"
Davis said. "'[Paul] represents LeBron, so A.D. is going there,'
and all of that. I knew it was coming. That's why it took me a
while to do it because I had to get mentally prepared for it. I
knew it was coming."

Most importantly, the basketball fit might force Davis to
move on. The Pelicans have made the playoffs just twice in Davis'
career, with last year being the first time they advanced past
the first round. Though sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers was
an accomplishment, they looked far inferior to the Golden State
Warriors, who Davis says the Pelicans are now chasing.

But the Pelicans have few paths to improve. They're
unlikely to land a top draft pick to add talent to play alongside
Davis, and they may have a tough time creating the cap space to
land another star in free agency. Players like Jrue Holiday,
Nikola Mirotic, and Julius Randle who surround Davis now are good
players who keep the Pelicans in the playoff race, but
realistically, they're not enough to compete for a
championship.

Davis will be 27 at the end of the 2019-20 season. If he is
still with the Pelicans, and they haven't made major moves to
contend for a championship, he may decide to take his talents to
a bigger market and a better team.

The question is where that might be. The Boston Celtics are
a frequently mentioned destination because they're close to
championship contention and have the assets to trade for Davis.
The Lakers are in a somewhat similar position. Haynes reported
that teams like the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers
would also monitor the situation in New Orleans.

The biggest curveball of all will be if the Warriors get
involved. It may sound like overkill for the three-time champions
to add a player of Davis' caliber, but it's not out of the
picture. The Athletic has reported that the Warriors have their
eyes on Davis, mainly if Kevin Durant looks likely to leave the
team. Davis is the type of game-changing star who could extend
their title run as their main stars age into their 30s.

It's rare for true superstars to hit free agency in their
prime, with a real chance at moving elsewhere. When James and
Durant hit the market, half the league volleyed for their
services.

Davis' free agency is well over a year away, but the buzz
will only increase the longer his future in New Orleans stays
uncertain.